The California Assembly has passed a bill that limits when local law enforcement agencies can turn undocumented immigrants over to federal authorities.

The TRUST Act says local police cannot turn undocumented
immigrants over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for minor
crimes. Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano says this will prevent
immigrants from being deported for relatively minor
infractions.

"California cannot afford to expend vital resources on the
prolonged detention of people who pose no threat to public safety,"
Ammiano says." We are all safer when we foster transparency and
trust, not tear it down."

Supporters of the bill say it will allow immigrants to call
police without fear of being deported. But Opponents like
Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly say the bill would undermine
federal authority.

"So when we dismiss the rule of law by saying, hey it's just
someone selling tamales in front of Wal-Mart, I think we really
miss the point," Donnelly says. "And the point is that if we allow
the law to break down at the lowest level, eventually we will have
no more rule of law."

This is the second time the Assembly has passed this bill.
Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a version of the bill last year because
he said it defined too many crimes as "minor". Ammiano says he's
open to working with Brown on a compromise this time around.